OFFICIAL
Job Description (JD)
Band 10
Group Profile: Director of Therapeutic
Communities(DirTC)
Job Description: DirTC: Director of Therapeutic
Communities
Document Ref.
OR-JES-602-JD-B6 DirTC: Director of Therapeutic
Communities v6.0
Document Type
Management
Version
6.0
Classification
Official
Date of Issue
16 February 2026
Status
Baselined
Produced by
Job Evaluation Assurance and Support Team
Authorised by
Reward Team
JD Evidence
OFFICIAL
OR-JES-602-JD-B6 DirTC: Director of Therapeutic Communities v6.0
OFFICIAL
Job Description
Job Title
DirTC: Director of Therapeutic Communities
Group Profile
Director of Therapeutic Communities
Organisation
Senior Functional Specialist
Level
Band
10
Overview of the
This is a senior management job within an establishment
job
focusing on the therapeutic needs of prisoners.
Summary
The focus of the work is based on therapeutic community
principles, where a dedicated multidisciplinary team of staff work
together with prisoners, in an atmosphere where attitudes and
expressions, which would not normally be tolerated in prison, are
accepted and used to give feedback to prisoners. This
therapeutic dialogue leads to prisoner’s greater understanding of
their usual behaviour.
The job holder will be responsible for all therapy and treatment
that takes place within the establishment, working closely with
the Governor to ensure a safe environment is maintained.
This is a non-operational job with line management
responsibilities. This role is non-rotational.
Responsibilities,
The job holder will be required to carry out the following
Activities and
responsibilities, activities and duties:
Duties
• Accountable for ensuring a safe, decent and secure
environment is maintained for all prisoners and staff
• Accountable for the establishment’s overall achievement of
Service Delivery Indicators (SDIs) and standards, leading
on the performance and delivery of targets relating to the
budget and People Plan
• Accountable for promoting and sustaining a performance
management culture within the establishment
• Ensure interaction between prisoner and staff is actively
encouraged
• Accountable for ensuring Heads of Functions within the
Therapeutic Communities (TC) adhere to the management
of HR policies
• Accountable for adherence to action plans as a result of
HM’s Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP), Standards Audit Unit
(SAU) and TC accreditation across all communities
• Actively participates in national working groups maintaining
a current awareness of political, social, legislative and policy
changes affecting HMPPS
• Manage within budget those responsible for delivering
therapy both operational and non-operational grades
OFFICIAL
OR-JES-602-JD-B6 DirTC: Director of Therapeutic Communities v6.0
OFFICIAL
ensuring that TC accreditation and HMPPS audit standards
are met
• Manage Offender Management Unit and therapy, sentence
planning, public protection and resettlement interface
• Manage Psycho drama, Residential, Psychology and
therapy
• Work with the Governor on the daily and tactical
management of the establishment ensuring good
relationship exist between security/therapy and on the
strategic development of the establishment
• Accountable for fostering and progressing open and positive
external relationships with stakeholders to the mutual
benefit of the establishment and the community ensuring
the delivery of these services through Service Level
Agreements (SLA)
• Accountable for the proactive promotion of prison service
policy in all activities and behaviours by promoting diversity,
decency, safety and reducing re-offending agendas
• Provides leadership and direction for all staff including
coaching and mentoring for managers
• Manage the appropriate authorisation of financial
compliance statements
• Manage devolved budgets in accordance with the financial
procedures outlined in the budget delegation
• Ensure that the function produces and analyses audit and
establishment performance management information
identifying variances and areas requiring improvements
• Deliver establishment responsibilities in the Memorandum of
Understanding with Birmingham City University
• Advise Governor on strategic management of the
establishment
• Ensure achievement of population/accommodation
• Work with Governor in achieving an effective relationship
between therapy and operations
• Attend relevant boards/meetings and actively contribute
either as chair or team member
• Responsible for ensuring work areas and associated
activities comply with Health and Safety legislation. Ensure
all risk assessments are undertaken and staff are made
aware of their personal responsibility towards Health and
Safety compliance
• Work collaboratively and provide constructive challenge to
colleagues to ensure that their own and other functions are
joined up and together contribute towards the overall
delivery of the establishment’s performance
• Produce relevant reports as required and ensure all
correspondence is replied to within agreed timescales
The duties/responsibilities listed above describe the post as it is
at present and is not intended to be exhaustive. The job holder is
expected to accept reasonable alterations and additional tasks of
a similar level that may be necessary. Significant adjustments
may require re-examination under the Job Evaluation Scheme
and shall be discussed in the first instance with the job holder.
OFFICIAL
OR-JES-602-JD-B6 DirTC: Director of Therapeutic Communities v6.0
OFFICIAL
An ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence
through the medium of English or (where specified in Wales)
Welsh.
Civil Service Success Profile Criteria
Behaviours
• Making Effective Decisions
• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Developing Self and Others
• Managing a Quality Service
• Delivering at Pace
Strengths
We recommend you choose 4 to 8 strengths locally
Experience
• Experience in providing clinical supervision
• Have undertaken relevant training, including knowledge of
various models and effective models for treatment delivery
and adherence to best practice models
Technical
• Qualified and registered clinician with an associated and
requirements
relevant professional body, e.g. BACP, BPS, BABCP, UKCP
• Possess a professional background in one of the following
disciplines: Psychotherapy, Psychology, Psychiatry, Nursing
• Qualification and experience in providing clinical supervision
(preferably both group and individual)
• When transferring to a Young Persons establishment the job
holder will be required to successfully undertake an
assessment to demonstrate suitability to work with Young
People
Ability
Minimum
Please do not alter this box
Eligibility
• All candidates are subject to security and identity checks prior to
taking up post.
• All external candidates are subject to 6 months’
probation. Internal candidates are subject to probation if they
have not already served a probationary period within HMPPS.
• All staff are required to declare whether they are a member of a
group or organisation which HMPPS consider to be racist.
Hours of Work
37 hour working week
(Unsocial Hours)
Allowances
OFFICIAL
OR-JES-602-JD-B6 DirTC: Director of Therapeutic Communities v6.0